Seaweed as a Building Material – New Collaboration Explores the Future of Bio-Based Materials

How can a resource from our oceans help reduce the climate impact of the construction industry? This question is at the heart of a new collaborative project – MOBI, Moldable Ocean Biomass for Industry – where architects, material developers, producers, and refineries are joining forces to explore whether seaweed could become a sustainable alternative to fossil-based materials.

The project aims to demonstrate that it is possible to create building components from farmed sugar kelp. Together, the partners are developing and testing new methods to mold prototypes that could replace conventional fossil-based construction materials. The goal is to support a circular and bio-based economy while building a Nordic value chain for seaweed. The project is an innovation sprint running from April to November 2025, co-funded by Nordic Innovation.

From Concept to Real-World Products

The project is being carried out in close collaboration with industrial designers from Snøhetta, Arkio Industries, and Manatee Biomaterials. It is led by Axfoundation, which will test the materials in real-world settings, including Torsåker Farm, Axfoundation’s test farm and development center.

This project brings together top expertise from multiple sectors and is a great example of how new collaborations are forming to accelerate the transition. It’s not about creating visions, but about practically testing what’s feasible and scalable.

— Amelie Silfverstolpe, Project Manager for Future Materials at Axfoundation.

From Seaweed to Technology

Seaweed and macro are fast-growing renewable resources with a low environmental footprint. By using cut-offs and late harvests from seaweed farming –resources that are often otherwise wasted –the project investigates whether they can be processed into products that meet the construction industry’s high standards for strength, functionality, and design. Using the residual streams is also a way to valorize the full harvest.

The focus is to prototype two building-related applications, which will be tested and evaluated using technical analysis, market requirements, life cycle assessments, and business modeling.

Project Opportunities

In addition to developing tangible prototypes, the project aims to foster knowledge, networks, and new pathways for collaboration between research, business, and design. The long-term ambition of MOBI is to pave the way for scaling up the market for seaweed-based materials and creating a systemic shift.

Every shift starts with those willing to work at the edge of what’s possible. At Snøhetta Product Design, we see projects like MOBI not just as material experiments, but as moments to shape the future. Design has the power to connect research with reality, to turn visionary ideas into viable solutions.

— Marius Myking, Director of Product Design, Snøhetta